Collator with printer having inclined printing path and displaceable conveyor belts to expose printing surface

An apparatus for use in feeding sheet material, said apparatus comprising a longitudinally extending collating conveyor, a first rotatable feed drum for engaging a leading end portion of sheet material at a pickup location while the leading end portion of the sheet material is in a first orientation and for feeding the sheet material from the pickup location along an arcuate path toward said collating conveyor during rotation of said first feed drum about a first horizontal axis, sheet material holder means for holding sheet material, a second rotatable feed drum for engaging the leading end portion of sheet material which is at least partially held by said holder means while the leading end portion of the sheet material is in the first orientation and for feeding the sheet material from said holder means along an arcuate path toward said collating conveyor during rotation of said second feed drum about a second horizontal axis, conveyor means for receiving sheet material from said second feed drum and for moving the sheet material to said pickup location with the leading end portion of the sheet material in the first orientation at the pickup location to enable said first feed drum to engage the leading end portion of the sheet material at the pickup location while the leading end portion of the sheet material is in the first orientation, and printer means for printing on the sheet material while the sheet material is being moved by said conveyor means, said conveyor means including means for moving the sheet material away from said second feed drum to said printer means along a first path segment which slopes upwardly away from said second feed drum to said printer means at an acute angle to a horizontal plane, for moving the sheet material through said printer means along a second path segment which slopes upwardly at an acute angle to the horizontal plane, and for moving the sheet material to said pickup location along a third path segment which slopes downwardly away from said printer means toward said first feed drum at an acute angle to a horizontal plane, said printer means including means for directing ink toward the sheet material along flow paths which extend at an acute angle to a vertical plane and which extend perpendicular to the second upwardly sloping path segment along which sheet material is moved through said printer means by said conveyor means.

An apparatus for use in feeding sheet material, said apparatus comprising a longitudinally extending collating conveyor for moving sheet material along a collating conveyor path, a rotatable feed means for engaging sheet material at a pickup location for moving the engaged sheet material away from the pickup station and in the direction of movement of sheet material along the collating conveyor path, and for releasing the sheet material at said collating conveyor while the sheet material is moving in the direction of movement of the sheet material along the collating conveyor path, sheet material holder means for holding sheet material, a rotatable feed drum for engaging the leading end portion of sheet material which is at least partially held by said holder means and for feeding the sheet material from said holder means along an arcuate path toward said collating conveyor during rotation of said feed drum about a horizontal axis, conveyor means for receiving sheet material from said feed drum and for moving the sheet material to said pickup location to enable said rotatable feed means to engage the sheet material at the pickup location, and printer means for printing on the sheet material while the sheet material is being moved by said conveyor means, said conveyor means including means for moving the sheet material away from said feed drum to said printer means along a first path segment which slopes upwardly away from said feed drum to said printer means at an acute angle to a horizontal plane, for moving the sheet material through said printer means along a second path segment which slopes upwardly at an acute angle to the horizontal plane, and for moving the sheet material to said pickup location along a third path segment which slopes downwardly away from said printer toward said first feed drum at an acute angle to a horizontal plane, said printer means including means for directing ink toward the sheet material along flow paths which extend at an acute angle to a vertical plane and which extend perpendicular to the second upwardly sloping path segment along which sheet material is moved through said printer mean by said conveyor means.

An apparatus for feeding sheet material to a first sheet material feed means at a pickup location and from which the sheet material is fed to a longitudinally extending collator conveyor, said apparatus comprising sheet material holder means for holding sheet material, second sheet material feed means for engaging a leading end portion of sheet material which is at least partially held by said holder means while the leading end portion of the sheet material is in a first orientation and for feeding the sheet material from said holder means, said second sheet material feed means including a rotatable feed drum for feeding sheet material along an arcuate path during operation of said second sheet material feed means, conveyor means for receiving sheet material from said feed drum and for moving the sheet material toward the first sheet material feed means, printer means for printing on sheet material while the sheet material is being moved by said conveyor means, said conveyor means including means for moving the sheet material with the indicia printed thereon to the pickup location with the leading end portion of the sheet material in the first orientation at the pickup location to enable the first sheet material feed means to engage the leading end portion of the sheet material at the pickup location while the leading end portion of the sheet material is in the first orientation, said conveyor means including an initial portion which moves the sheet material away from said feed drum to said printer means along an upwardly sloping path length which is skewed at a first acute angle to a horizontal plane, a second portion which moves the sheet material through said printer means along an upwardly sloping path length which is skewed at a second acute angle to a horizontal plane, said second acute angle being smaller than said first acute angle, and a third portion which moves the sheet material away from said second portion of said conveyor means along a downwardly sloping path length to the pickup location.

An apparatus for feeding sheet material to a first sheet material feed means at a pickup location and from which the sheet material is fed to a longitudinally extending collator conveyor, said apparatus comprising sheet material holder means for holding sheet material, second sheet material feed means for engaging a leading end portion of sheet material which is at least partially held by said holder means while the leading end portion of the sheet material is in a first orientation and for feeding the sheet material from said holder means, said second sheet material feed means including a rotatable feed drum for feeding sheet material along an arcuate path during operation of said second sheet material feed means, conveyor means for receiving sheet material from said feed drum and for moving the sheet material toward the first sheet material feed means, printer means for printing on sheet material while the sheet material is being moved by said conveyor means, said printer means including a plurality of ink jet nozzles for directing streams of ink toward the sheet material along flow paths extending at acute angles to a vertical plane so that the locations where the ink jets engage the sheet material are offset from centers of the ink jet nozzles, said conveyor means including means for moving the sheet material with the indicia printed thereon to the pickup location with the leading end portion of the sheet material in the first orientation at the pickup location to enable the first sheet material feed means to engage the leading end portion of the sheet material at the pickup location while the leading end portion of the sheet material is in the first orientation, said plurality of ink jet nozzles including a first group of ink jet nozzles disposed above a path along which sheet material is moved through said printer means for directing a flow of ink downwardly toward an upwardly facing side of the sheet material and a second group of ink jet nozzles disposed below the path along which sheet material is moved through said printer means for directing a flow of ink upwardly toward a downwardly facing side of the sheet material, said conveyor means includes a first plurality of belts for engaging an upper side of the sheet material as said conveyor means moves the sheet material and a second plurality of belts for engaging a lower side of the sheet material as said conveyor means moves the sheet material, said first group of ink jet nozzles including means for directing ink toward the upper side of the sheet material between belts of said first plurality of belts, said second group of ink jet nozzles including means for directing ink toward the lower side of the sheet material between belts of said second plurality of belts, said belts of said first plurality of belts being movable transversely to the path of movement of the sheet material and said belts of said second plurality of belts being movable transversely to the path of movement of the sheet material to enable ink to be directed between the first and second pluralities of belts to different locations on the upper and lower sides of the sheet material.

An apparatus for use in feeding sheet material, said apparatus comprising a longitudinally extending collating conveyor, a first feed means engaging sheet material at a pickup location and for feeding the sheet material from the pickup location toward said collating conveyor, sheet material holder means for holding sheet material, a second feed means for engaging sheet material which is at least partially held by said holder means and for feeding the sheet material from said holder means, conveyor means for receiving sheet material from said second feed means and for moving the sheet material to said pickup location, and printer means for printing on the sheet material while the sheet material is being moved by said conveyor means, said conveyor means including means for moving the sheet material away from said second feed means through said printer means along a path segment which slopes upwardly at an acute angle to a horizontal plane, and for moving the sheet material to said pickup location along a path segment which slopes downwardly away from said printer means toward said first feed means at an acute angle to a horizontal plane, said printer means including means for directing ink toward the sheet material along flow paths which extend at an acute angle to a vertical plane and which extend perpendicular to the upwardly sloping path segment along which sheet material is moved through said printer means by said conveyor means, said conveyor means including a first plurality of belts for engaging an upper side of the sheet material as said conveyor means moves the sheet material through said printer means and a second plurality of belts for engaging a lower side of the sheet material as said conveyor means moves the sheet material through said printer means, said means for directing ink toward the sheet material including means for directing ink toward the upper side of the sheet material between belts of said first plurality of belts and means for directing ink toward the lower side of the sheet material between belts of said second plurality of belts, said belts of said first plurality of belts being movable transversely to the upwardly sloping path segment and said belts of said second plurality of belts being movable transversely to the upwardly sloping path segment to enable ink to be directed between the first and second pluralities of belts to different locations on the upper and lower sides of the sheet material.

An apparatus for feeding sheet material to a first sheet material feed means at a pickup location and from which the sheet material is fed to a longitudinally extending collator conveyor, said apparatus comprising sheet material holder means for holding sheet material, second sheet material feed means for engaging a leading end portion of sheet material which is at least partially held by said holder means while the leading end portion of the sheet material is in a first orientation and for feeding the sheet material from said holder means, said second sheet material feed means including a rotatable feed drum for feeding sheet material along an arcuate path during operation of said second sheet material feed means, conveyor means for receiving sheet material from said feed drum and for moving the sheet material toward the first sheet material feed means, printer means for printing on sheet material while the sheet material is being moved by said conveyor means, said conveyor means including means for moving the sheet material with the indicia printed thereon to the pickup location with the leading end portion of the sheet material in the first orientation at the pickup location to enable the first sheet material feed means to engage the leading end portion of the sheet material at the pickup location while the leading end portion of the sheet material is in the first orientation, said conveyor means including belt means for gripping the sheet material and for moving the sheet material through said printer means, said belt means including a plurality of longitudinally extending belts which engage one side of the sheet material and means for enabling said plurality of belts to be moved toward and away from each other to vary locations where said belts engage the sheet material and thereby enable said printer means to print at any one of a plurality of locations on the sheet material.

An apparatus for feeding sheet material to a first sheet material feed means at a pickup location and from which the sheet material is fed to a longitudinally extending collator conveyor, said apparatus comprising sheet material holder means for holding sheet material, second sheet material feed means for engaging a leading end portion of sheet material which is at least partially held by said holder means while the leading end portion of the sheet material is in a first orientation and for feeding the sheet material from said holder means, said second sheet material feed means including a rotatable feed drum for feeding sheet material along an arcuate path during operation of said second sheet material feed means, conveyor means for receiving sheet material from said feed drum and for moving the sheet material toward the first sheet material feed means, printer means for printing on sheet material while the sheet material is being moved by said conveyor means, said conveyor means including means for moving the sheet material with the indicia printed thereon to the pickup location with the leading end portion of the sheet material in the first orientation at the pickup location to enable the first sheet material feed means to engage the leading end portion of the sheet material at the pickup location while the leading end portion of the sheet materials in the first orientation, said conveyor means including a first plurality of conveyor belts for engaging a first side of the sheet material and a second plurality of conveyor belts for engaging a second side of the sheet material, said first and second pluralities of conveyor belts cooperating to grip the sheet material and move the sheet material toward said printer means at a first speed, registration means for engaging a leading end portion of the sheet material while the sheet material is engaged by at least some of the conveyor belts of said first plurality of conveyor belts and at least some of the conveyor belts of said second plurality of conveyor belts to align the sheet material with said printer means by reducing the speed of movement of the sheet material from the first speed to a second speed by establishing slippage between opposite sides of the sheet material and at least some of the conveyor belts of said first and second pluralities of conveyor belts, and means for enabling at least some of the conveyor belts of said first plurality of conveyor belts to be moved transversely to the path of movement of the sheet material through said printer means to enable said printer means to print at any one of a plurality of locations on the first side of the sheet material and for enabling at least some of the conveyor belts of said second plurality of conveyor belts to be moved transversely to the path of movement of the sheet material through said printer means to enable said printer means to print at any one of a plurality of locations on the second side of the sheet material.

An apparatus for feeding sheet material to a first sheet material feed means from which the sheet material is fed to a longitudinally extending collator conveyor, said apparatus comprising sheet material holder means for holding sheet material, second sheet material feed means for feeding the sheet material from said holder means, conveyor means for receiving sheet material from said second sheet material feed means and for moving the sheet material toward the first sheet material feed means, and printer means for printing on opposite sides of the sheet material while the sheet material is being moved by said conveyor means, a first group of ink jet nozzles disposed above a path along which sheet material is moved through said printer means for directing a flow of ink downwardly toward an upwardly facing side of the sheet material and a second group of ink jet nozzles disposed below the path along which sheet material is moved through said printer means for directing a flow of ink upwardly toward a downwardly facing side of the sheet material, said conveyor means including a first plurality of belts for engaging an upper side of the sheet material as said conveyor means moves the sheet material and a second plurality of belts for engaging a lower side of the sheet material as said conveyor means moves the sheet material, said belts of said first plurality of belts being movable transversely to the path of movement of the sheet material and said belts of said second plurality of belts being movable transversely to the path of movement of the sheet material to enable ink to be directed between the first and second pluralities of belts by said first and second groups of ink jet nozzles to different locations on the upper and lower sides of the sheet material.